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Former Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua has revealed his whereabouts after the chaos at Wairima ACK Church in Othaya on Sunday, January 25, 2025.
In a statement, Gachagua said he reached home safely and asked his supporters in Othaya to peacefully go home since their vehicles and systems had been dismantled.
“I thank God for His Mercy and Kindness. I thank the residents of Othaya for helping my private security to evacuate me to safety. I am now safe having just arrived at my Wamunyoro residence. I request thousands of my supporters waiting for me in Othaya Town and Kiawara to peacefully go home as our vehicles have been disabled and sound systems dismantled,” Gachagua said.
Earlier, DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala has announced that Rigathi Gachagua went missing following the chaos at Wairima ACK Church in Othaya on Sunday, January 25, 2025.
Malala said attackers threw teargas and fired live bullets before taking away the DCP party leader.
He demanded that the government produce Gachagua within the next hour, adding that party members do not know his whereabouts.
“I would like to tell Kenyans that there are people who have taken our party leader, Rigathi Gachagua. They have taken him and disappeared. They threw teargas and used live bullets. We want to tell Ruto to produce Gachagua in the next hour. Gachagua has been taken, and we don’t know where he is,” Malala said.
Gachagua Earlier Statement
Former Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua has asked Kenyans to pray for him and his team.
In a statement, Gachagua has accused the government of sending goons to attack him during a church service at Wairima ACK church, Othaya, on Sunday, January 25, 2025.
Gachagua said they are trapped in a church, under attack with live bullets and tear gas, and that their vehicles have been torched.
He said they are asking Kenyans to pray for their safety and hope to come out alive.
“William Ruto has sent a killer squad to kill us inside Wairima ACK church, Othaya. We are marooned in church being attacked with live bullets and tear gas, and torched my vehicles. We ask Kenyans to pray for us to come out alive,” Gachagua.
Neither the National Police Service (NPS) nor the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja had responded to the incident by the time of publication.
Footage shared on social media shows teargas canisters thrown at the scene, with people running for safety.
Gachagua was in the company of DCP deputy party leader Cleophas Malala among other leaders.
Pattern of Church Related Security Incidents
The attack in Othaya is also happening at a time when other security attacks in places of worship involving political gatherings have been experienced in Kenya in the past.
In a separate but comparable incident, the National Police Service (NPS) issued a detailed statement following disturbances at Kariobangi North PCEA Church on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
The chaos occurred during a celebratory and thanksgiving service for a successful ward candidate after a by-election.
According to NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, the incident began when officers on duty observed “a large group of rowdy youths, armed with crude weapons, attempting to force their way into the church.”
The officers immediately called for reinforcements as the situation deteriorated.
Also Read: Police Say Kariobangi North PCEA Incident Was Pre-Planned
Police Account of Escalation and Injuries
NPS further reported that “another group of youths approached the scene, apparently to confront the first group,” creating a volatile environment that required urgent intervention.
Police action, Nyaga said, was aimed at preventing further escalation.
“Police moved in quickly to quell the escalating situation, which regrettably spilled into the church, temporarily disrupting the service,” Nyaga stated.
As a result of the disturbances, six individuals were injured and rushed to hospital for treatment.
Nyaga described the events as serious and deliberate, noting that “the nature of these disturbances appears both planned and premeditated,” an assessment that heightened public concern about organized violence around political events.
Also Read: Ruto Breaks Silence on Kariobangi North PCEA Church Chaos
Dispute Over Tear Gas Use in Church
In the Kariobangi case, NPS moved to counter claims circulating on social media, particularly allegations that tear gas was deployed inside the church.
Nyaga categorically dismissed those assertions.
“The Service also wishes to correct misinformation alleging that a tear gas canister was thrown into the church. Church leadership has been contacted and has denied that this occurred. The service later resumed and concluded peacefully at 2:00 PM,” he said.
He added that NPS “takes great exception to such callous acts, particularly when directed at a place of worship, which is considered a sanctuary,” while extending sympathies to the injured.
As concerns regarding Othaya incident involving Gachagua escalate, as it is, the earlier incident that took place in Kariobangi serves to direct public attention to the way security forces contain conflicts within places of worship amidst rising tensions.
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